


Alan Alone

by FallenFurther



Series: FabFiveFebruary2020 [1]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Alone, Explosions, Gen, I Blame Tumblr, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Outer Space, References to Thunderbirds, What Have I Done, alone on space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther
Summary: Written for @gumnut's FabFiveFeb challenge. I’ve been in need/mood to write a whump having written so much fluff, but having no ideas for the former. Sorry Alan, you’re the first, but I’m planning to whump your brothers too.Alan is on a solo rescue and ignores advice.Prompts: “No! You can’t.”, I wish and ball (if marbles counts)
Series: FabFiveFebruary2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627462
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	1. I'm their only hope

“No! You can’t!” Scott’s hologram yelled, “Come back, Alan.”

“S-Scott’s right, Alan. Thunderbird 3 won’t make it. You have to come back.” The worried look on Brains’ face made Alan hesitate, but only for a second.

“No. We’re International Rescue and we don’t give up. I have to try and rescue them.” 

“No, Alan. Come back.” Scott commanded. 

“No. You listen to me, Scott. I’m going to try and rescue these people. I’m the only hope they’ve got. I have to stay and try.”

“Alan! You can’t do this. Come back, Alan. No one is going to blame you. We can’t save…” Alan cut the feed and disabled the com. He could hear the worry in Scott’s voice, but he had to rescue those people. He was International Rescue. Alan placed his hands on the controls and guided Thunderbird 3 towards the other ship, his face a picture of determination. 

***

Brains had been right, Alan thought as the back end of the transport ship exploded and sent him flying into the wall. He floated there as his eyes fell on the three crew members. Two were in their seats while one was just floating. They’d reported a hull breach on the distress call, they had said it was contained, that they were okay. Something had gone wrong, and the cabin had lost oxygen before they could put on their helmets. There had been no atmosphere on the ship for a while and Alan had a feeling they had died not long after he’d left Earth’s atmosphere. John had lost contact with them at that point. Another smaller explosion brought Alan out of his daze, and he pushed off the wall. He made haste to the airlock and slipped his board beneath his feet. He pointed it towards Three and set off as the next explosion sent blinding light his way. Out the corner of his eye, Alan could see Thunderbird Three’s engines, the ones he’d damaged while trying to get close to the spiralling ship, but he also saw the shrapnel flying fast in his direction. Alan bent his knee and sped up, crashing through the hatch and pulling it closed as he heard the metal hit the side of his ship. 

If burnt out engines weren’t enough trouble, he was going to have to give her a new paint job! Alan pushed himself over to his seat, strapped in and pulled up his ship’s readings. His eyes looked over the sensors, all were in normal range, bar one. The fuel temperature sensor was out. Alan had never seen it without a reading before, but more banging on the side of Three was enough warning to Alan to get away. He started up the ion engine and set a course for home. Three responded to his commands and lurched forward. 

It was thirty second later that Alan heard the bang and felt the vibrations through the chair. He barely had time to register what was happening as Thunderbird Three’s engines exploded and ripped the ship open. He was plunged into darkness as the display died. Time slowed for Alan. He pushed himself out the harness and opened the hatch. Popping his head out he looked down his red ship and gasped at the mangled shredded end that had contained her engines. He blinked. Alan could hear Scott’s voice in his head. 

“Stay calm. Think it through.”

Alan took a deep slow breath and searched the wreckage in front of him. The body of his ‘bird had been split open, and as his eyes scoured the wreckage they fell upon the gear for the space pod. A quick look around and he could see red pod tumbling away from the ship. Alan ducked back inside and grabbed his board. He made haste and caught up with it. He grabbed the magnets from his side and jumped at the pod, bracing himself as he joined in its tumble. Alan’s hands slowly moved the magnets round until he was at the hatch, which opened easily. He slipped into the seat and closed it behind him. He fired up the small engine and fired the thrusters, slowing the spin to a halt. 

Alan took a deep breath and tapped the coms button. Nothing happened. He tried again, and still nothing. He booted up the pods systems and felt his heart rate increase. Half the systems on the pod were not functioning! They must have been damaged when the engine exploded, he thought. Alan looked at what was functioning. Oxygen level indicator, fuel indicator, propulsion, temperature sensor, and harness sensor. Alan looked at the communicator on his wrist and sighed. It had broken when he’d been thrown against the wall in the ship. He suddenly felt very alone. Taking a few deep breaths, he pulled the tube out of the wall and connected it to his helmet. No point wasting oxygen filling the entire pod with air. 

Alan placed his hands on the controls and looked out the window. He angled the pod using the thrusters and then headed in the direction he believed would take him home.

***

Alan forced his eyes open, only to face the red warning light. He wished he could get it to go away! He didn’t need reminding that his oxygen was low. Alan had lost track of time, but the amber light told him he was running low on fuel. Not that he had to worry about that. He’d run out of oxygen first. He was already feeling sleepy. 

Alan tightened his grip on the controls, trying to force himself to stay awake. He tried to take slow deep breathes and keep his respiration rate low. Like he was trained to. Don’t panic. Alan wished he’d listened to Scott and Brains. How he wished he was back home, on the island, with Thunderbird Three safely sat ready for launch. He wished to hear his brother’s voices again. Their laughter, their sighs and even their shouting. He even wanted Grandma’s cooking. At least he knew he was home when faced with Grandma’s cooking. He couldn’t wipe away the tears that slipped down his face, nor could he stop the sob. He wanted to go home. He wanted his brothers, his sister, his family. 

Alan looked up, through the warning signs, at the multi-coloured marble ahead. He set his eyes on it, on home. He tried to focus on keeping his shaking hands steady as another tear fell. The pod continued forward, though home appeared no closer. Alan fought against the draw of sleep, his Tracy stubbornness shining through. But as he finally succumbed, and as his eyes closed, his last wish was for his brothers.


	2. You can't save everyone

".... everyone." Scott finished but the feed was gone. "Alan!? John! What happened?"

John's hologram appeared next to the visualisation of the two ships. John didn't look happy. "He's turned off the com on both Three and his wrist."

"Grgh!" Scott roared, "That boy is going to be in serious trouble when he gets back! He knows the rules!" 

Scott fumed, and sat down hard on the sofa. He noted the worried look he got from Brains out the corner of his eye and tried to calm down a little. Damn it, Alan! You know better than this! Scott crossed his arms over his chest and watched the feed, John's hologram now gone. He knew his brother would be trying everything to get back in contact with Alan. But until then, all Scott could do was watch the small hologram of Thunderbird 3 continue the rescue. Worry sat deep in Scott's gut as be watch Thunderbird 3 manoeuvre around the spiralling cargo ship. It was never the safe cargo that got into situations, was it? Always the delicate stuff that could blow a hole in the side of a hull. The ship's design didn't help, with multiple smaller sections sticking out that were obviously not part of the original design. Brains' was muttering about it under his breath, as he watched his own design pushed to its limits. The man's eyes also glued to the protection. 

"He can't do it! He won't be able to move out the way!" Brains exclaimed standing up. Scott looked at the man, whose face was one of horror, obviously having done the calculations in his head, before looking back at the projection. Quiet 'Oh no's' came from his companion. Grandma sat down beside Scott and took his hand. Virgil and Gordon were on a rescue and Scott was thankful they didn't have to watch their youngest brother do something stupid. Alan was doing tremendously well manoeuvring Three; however, he must not have seen the amber warning over one of the added-on sections go red. A few seconds later and it exploded, swivelling the ship straight into Thunderbird 3. They watched in horror as Brains' pulled up the readings that were being transmitted from Three. 

"One thruster is destroyed, and the other c-could function but not for long. Certainly not long enough to land. The ion engine is undamaged, s-so he'll still be able to get back to Earth’s orbit."

Scott's heart was in his throat as he watched the hologram of his brother's rocket move in close to the cargo ship. He knew it was currently manoeuvring using the side thrusters, but it still felt like it was limping. Thunderbird 3 would be out of commission for a while. They'd have to dock it with Five until parts could be transported up. Damn it! It was going to take time and hassle to do that! Scott put his head on his free hand and took a deep breath. He wanted to start pacing, yet he had to watch, he had to make sure Alan was safe. His Grandma rubbed his back, and he looked at her. The worry on her face added more to his load, and Scott turned away to watch the now steady Thunderbird 3. It looked like Alan had managed to grasp the other ship, so they moved together. With no more detail than what was in front of him, Scott took both his Grandma's hands in his and waited anxiously for Thunderbird 3 to move away and head home. 

***

John watched the hologram in the observation room. EOS was fielding calls, fully aware that John couldn't concentrate on anything but his brother. She may not be human, but she was starting to understand their complex emotions. EOS also knew John. She knew that he would monitor everything, even the smallest details, to make sure his brothers were safe and aware of any perils. Then there were times like this, when his brothers pushed themselves further than they should, and the concern crept into his face. EOS knew not to speak up. John was focused and would startle. Instead, she predicted what he would want and need, and monitored Virgil and Gordon, who thankfully were just tidying up their rescue. She was thankful she could do many things at once, and she flipped between each task swiftly. 

EOS tried the scanners again, trying to work the code to make it clearer and to pick up life signs. She knew what John needed to know, but it seemed that she just couldn't give it to him. She wanted to blow the scanner’s circuit in retaliation for not working as she wanted it to but held back as John's heartbeat picked up. She was at his side immediately, ready to compute anything he desired. 

***

John flicked through the readings coming from Thunderbird 3. He could only get the basics on the limited data stream they had, and there was a delay due to the distance. Scrolling through the damage to the engines caused John's heart to sink. It was going to be a big repair job. John was glad he wasn't on the island right now. Scott would be fuming and worried, which was never a good combination. He could imagine quite clearly his eldest brother pacing back and forth, and the exhausted sighs he'd be making. It was like Tracy Island had its own resident tornado at times. John sighed. He didn't envy the responsibility on Scott's shoulders, and considering all, Scott handles it as well as he can. John flipped back to the engine readings, he knew Brains had read through them, so he didn't have to inform Scott of the situation. The ion engine popped up. All readings were within range, but they weren't active. John left these up and went back to the hologram. He wanted to be the first to know when Thunderbird 3 moved. 

Another explosion from the cargo ship and made John's heart jump. 

"Come on, Alan. Get out of there." John said to himself. Eyes on the warning signs, indicating the weaker points and volatile parts of the ship. Why did people think they could get away with such poor modifications and not jeopardize safety? He floated impatiently waiting for Thunderbird 3 to move. His eyes flitted over the diagram as two more of the orange hazard lights turned red. Seconds later, they exploded, tearing the cargo ship apart and sending shrapnel towards Thunderbird 3. John eyes were glued to the hologram as the part attaching Thunderbird 3 to the ship came away. Alan, get out of there! John willed, as more warning lights went red and another explosion occurred sending more wreckage at Thunderbird 3.

Out the corner of his eye, John saw one of the sensors change. The fuel temperature sensor was no longer producing a reading. Fear filled John. Alan should be able to fly without the sensor, but what if it indicated damage that they couldn't see? The indicators changed in front of his eyes, and relief filled him. The ion engine was starting up, Alan was on Three! John flipped the sensor display away, zoomed in on Three and he watched for movement. A smile crept on his face as the rocket started moving away from the exploding ship. His eyes stayed on it as he waited for Alan to clear the blast radius, the fuel sensor forgotten, and already thinking ahead to welcoming his brother onto Five. 

Then he watched it happen. The hologram of Thunderbird 3 flickered as the sensors struggled to keep up with the changes. John watched as Thunderbird 3 was torn apart. The explosion tore up the side, along the fuel and oxygen pipes. John quickly pulled up the readings from Three, but there were none transmitting. His baby brother was on Three. He knew the cabin was self-contained with its own oxygen supply, but it wouldn't last long, a day at max. Most of the oxygen was carried in the main body. That was assuming the cabin hadn't been breached. John accessed Thunderbird 5's sensors and tried to boost them, frantically setting them to scan for life signs. He needed to know if Alan was alive. He had to find his baby brother. But it was just too far away, and John closed his eyes and held his head in his hands. 

Alan. 

Not Alan. 

John was brought out his thoughts by a call from the island. He snapped himself to, took a deep breath and slipped into professional mode, pushing the pain deep down. He answered the call and he came face to face with the terrified hologram of his eldest brother. 

"Tell me he's okay, John. Tell me you can get a reading on him." Scott's voice was desperate. 

John looked into his brother's eyes and said nothing. John watch Scott crumple and fall into the sofa, and he knew Scott was running through options. The same options that were now running through his head. 

“It too far for me to go in the exosuit. We need to find a vessel willing and able to take us there. EOS, scan the area and check the GDF log of authorised and unauthorised ships that are in orbit and a day’s flight from Thunderbird 3.”  
“Right away, John.” His dependable AI replied. John turned back to Scott. He had to give Scott something to do, otherwise he’d pace a hole in the floor of the villa, though he might do that anyway. 

“Scott, get onto Colonel Casey. Explain the situation and see if they have any vessels up here or on the ground that we might be able to use.” 

“FAB.” 

Scott’s hologram disappeared and John’s head dropped. They all knew the odds. They would all tell themselves this was a rescue, but deep down, their hearts were breaking. John wiped away the tear he couldn’t stop and turned to EOS. A nod and a list of vessels, their routes and maximum speeds were listed in front of him, along with a hologram of all their locations in respect to the remains of Thunderbird Three. 

“Thank you, EOS.” John started the task of assessing which vessels could help them and contacting them. 

***

EOS watched John work. She had only stopped to inform him that Virgil and Gordon were back on the Island. Continuing to field calls elsewhere, she had listened in when Scott had sat his brothers down and broken the news. Gordon had struggled to believe it, and he and Virgil watched the holograms. EOS had learnt how each brother showed and expressed pain, and she could see it in all three. Grandma had comforted Virgil and Scott had sat down with Gordon. Scott had explained what the plan was, and after a short time of sitting in silence, the younger Tracys disappeared in different directions. EOS fielded Gordon’s call to Penelope, who changed her plans and had Parker fly straight to Tracy Island. There was tension and worry in every Tracy, and EOS had concerns about John. She monitored his bio-readings, breaks, meals and sleeping patterns. He was overdue a meal by two hours now, and she was starting to see the effects of mild dehydration, but the look on his face as he worked told her she shouldn’t inform him. 

EOS continued to monitor the wreckage. She was aware that Thunderbird Five’s scans couldn’t be improved, but she still scanned. Hope was an amazing thing for humans. She’d learnt that first-hand, and she wanted to give it to John. There was nothing new in her last scan, just wreckage moving as it should. EOS scanned again, then analysed every byte of data that came from them. She analysed it again. Something was different. There was a blip. One piece of the wreck had moved in a direction it shouldn’t have. It was only a fraction out, nothing to concern John with, but she noted it for later. Five minutes later she ran the scan again. The wreckage had moved further in the wrong direction. She rechecked the data. Whether it was significant, she couldn’t tell, but John was on a call to a nearby vessel, and it could wait. The call lasted a while, and another five minutes passed, and another scan was performed. The blip was definitely moving, and EOS plotted its trajectory. It was heading for Earth. 

***

John hung up. Another ship wanting to help but unable to due to the superiors wanting the schedule to be kept. They considered it a recovery. That meant it wasn’t a priority. Well it was for him! It was his little brother out there. Lost in space. Anger churned inside him. Anger at the lack of help, anger that his brother was lost, anger the he couldn’t do more. John took a breath and tried not to let it surface. He had a job to do. 

“John.”

“Yes, EOS.”

“Something has shown up on my scans.”

John looked up at EOS, gazing into the lens and seeing his reflection. He turned to the holograms before him. 

“Show me.”

The picture changed and EOS highlighted a small scrap of debris on it. EOS displayed the time next to it and then flipped through the scans from the past forty minutes. John saw what she saw. The wreckage changed direction. Only something with an engine could do that. It was a flicker, a small spark of hope in his heart. Alan was a Tracy. John zoomed in, but the scan struggled to resolve the image. A quick run through Thunderbird 3’s inventory and the idea came to him. 

“It’s moving a little too fast to be Alan on his board, but it could be the space pod. I would expect it to go faster if configured, but if damaged it might be slower, or if not configured, the basic engine would go about that fast.”

“A space pod would not have enough fuel or oxygen to get back to Earth.” EOS stated. 

“But if we, or someone, could meet it halfway we might just…” 

John could feel it now, the hope. He headed back to the list of vessels, trying to find one that might just be able to make a detour. As he was searching, a call came from Tracy Island. John accepted it and was greeted by Scott. 

“There is a small spacecraft attached to Global One. Colonel Casey and the GDF are going to allow us to use it. It should be able to get you there and back. There is a shuttle being prepared now, but it won’t be able to launch until tomorrow. I’ll be on it and will meet you when you return to transport Alan back to Earth.”

EOS brought the information on the GDF vessel up in front of him, and John scanned the data. His eyes fell on the maximum velocity. It really was a small ship. 

“Scott, it’ll take almost two days to reach Thunderbird Three in this ship. Alan won’t have that much time.”

The sorrow in Scott face tore into John.  
“I know, but we have to bring Alan home.”

“FAB.”

John cut the link and looked at the last scan of the wreckage. 

“You didn’t mention the pod.” EOS stated and John swore he could see the confusion in her lens. 

“I don’t want to give him false hope. There is limited oxygen on the space pod. There is no guarantee we’ll make it in time.”


	3. The hope we hold on to

John headed through Thunderbird 5 and activated the mechanism which applied the exosuit to his body. He grabbed the handles and drifted through, letting the mechanical arms do their task, his mind set on the one goal that mattered to him. Getting to Alan as fast as possible. John knew he didn't need to tell EOS what to do, she was perfectly able to run Thunderbird 5 without him. One of his brothers, or Grandma if she was up for it, would take any calls that she couldn't pass on. As he reached the end, he let go of the handles and drifted into space. The Earth was below him. The controls flipped into his hands and John grasped them. He directed himself around his satellite and headed to Global One at full speed. 

John reached the airlock. He pushed a button on the pad next to it. He knew it wouldn't open but it would alert them to his presence, and they were expecting him after all. The airlock opened, and John glided in and pressed the button to close the door. He impatiently waited for the room to repressurise. As the light turned green, John turned to open the door to the GDF satellite, only for it to start opening anyway. 

"Welcome back, Tracy." Caption Ridley O'Bannon spoke, "I wish it were under better circumstances." 

"Me too. Show me to the ship. I want to launch as soon as possible."

"Of course." Ridley O'Bannon walked down the corridor and John followed, taking a few extras strides so he was walking beside her. "I've prepared the ship with five days’ worth of supplies already. I have Michael running the major system checks, which should be completed soon, so we should be able to launch in about twenty minutes." 

"We?" John questioned. 

Ridley turned to him, a serious look on his face. 

"Weren't you informed? The conditions of use for the ship is that a trained GDF pilot flies it."

"And you're the one they selected? I apologise now if I'm not my usual good company." John looked down. He was glad it was O'Bannon accompanying him. At least she understood him and his ways, though considering the circumstances he'd have accepted anyone if it meant a prompt launch. Ridley opened the airlock and pointed out the necessary information as they headed to the helm. John stored the information for later. They entered the helm where a man in a GDF uniform was sitting in the pilot's chair. He turned around as they entered and vacated the seat. 

"We'll take it from here Michael. Dismissed." 

Michael gave a quick polite nod before leaving. Ridley took the chair he vacated and started running through the protocols on the display. John removed the exosuit and strapped it down, before taking the chair beside her. 

"Have you got the current coordinates for Thunderbird 3?" 

"Actually, where not heading to Thunderbird 3. Our scans picked up a small piece of what was thought to be debris, which changed direction. I believe it might be the space pod that is carried on Thunderbird 3. EOS has plotted its trajectory and predicted its course. I'd like us to intercept it first." 

"That's not the information the GDF was given by your brother."

"Scott is unaware of this development. The oxygen on the pod is limited and there's no guarantee we'll make it in time."

John slipped the small tablet from his baldric and switched it on. The moment it was fully loaded, the data on the pod was on the screen, including the coordinates for intercepting it. Ridley had put up the navigation screen in front of him and John tapped in the coordinates. He slipped the tablet, still on, back into its slot. John knew EOS would be tracking their every move and would update him as and when required. He strapped himself in as Ridley released the little runabout from Global One and maneuvered it away. He felt the engines charge up and watched as Ridley pushed the throttle forward. The little ship shot away from Global One. John watched the speed dial and only sat back once it had reached maximum velocity. He called up the trajectory on the monitor in front of him, and made the computer do the calculations. He missed the way EOS predicted his moves and would have this ready for him. Twenty-three hours thirteen minutes until intercept. John hoped this would be enough. 

***

The first thing Ridley did, once her little ship was on autopilot and all systems were functioning, was to quiz John. She knew what he was like, having spent many an hour visiting Thunderbird 5 for zero-G handball games. John could hide his lack of sleep and energy well, and considering the circumstances, Ridley would bet her right arm John was in need of food, drink and rest. 

"When was your last meal?" She asked, releasing herself from the seat. John followed suit but was sheepish about answering the question. 

"I'd have to ask EOS. I've been a little preoccupied." 

"Right. There'll be plenty of time for pleasantries later. Let's head to the mess and get some food." 

Ridley pushed herself along and made sure John was following. He looked out the front and sighed, but he did as he was told. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Alan was a good kid, and a great pilot and astronaut. It was hard to believe he was stuck out there. Floating through the mess she grabbed some of the packets out the cupboard.

"Curry and rice, Beef in black bean sauce with rice or Spaghetti Bolognese?" 

Ridley watched as John surveyed the choices. She knew he had a wider variety of more satisfying food on Thunderbird 5. She'd almost requested he bring some, but decided against it. 

"Curry." John spoke, and she could see his mind drifting off into thought. 

She heated the curry for him and the beef for herself. She passed him a water satchel and got a good look at his face. His eyes were hollow and there were small dark circles under his eyes. He was tired and his body was tense. She imagined it was worry that did it. He drank the whole pouch in one go. Ridley passed the man the curry.

"Thank you." 

John opened the packed and started eating, still in thought. They ate in silence. She wanted to say more, but no words could make the situation better. Instead she took the man to the sleeping quarters and left him to sleep. He was reluctant. 

"You've been up too long already. If you want to be the one to go out to the pod, then you need to rest. I won't accept anything less than eight hours and you'll still have time to spare."

John nodded and she closed the door. The best thing she could do for her friend, and for International Rescue, was to keep the ship on course. Ridley headed to the helm and kept an eye on sleeping quarters to make sure John didn't stray too far. It was a GDF ship after all, and she was in charge. 

***

John pulled himself into the bed and strapped himself down. He tapped his communicator. He wasn't ready to sleep yet. 

"EOS?" 

"Yes, John."

A small hologram of EOS hovered above his wrist. It comforted John, seeing her. It made him feel less alone on this journey. 

"Any update on the pod?"

"The pod is still travelling on the predicted course."

"Is the probability still the same?"

"The probabilities have not changed." 

John stared into the darkness of the room. The light EOS cast created eerie shadows on the unfamiliar walls. The weight of the knowledge that Alan may be just be out of reach, just outside the possibility of survival, held John down. He knew Scott would be feeling guilt whether he knew or not. John knew this ship couldn't go any faster, at least the modifications couldn't be performed in the required time frame. If Alan had a chance, even if it was as small as 1.3% in the best-case scenario, this ship was that chance. John's mind wasn't tired, but his body was exhausted. 

"Shall I contact Tracy Island?" 

"No." John wasn't ready to face Scott yet. "I've been instructed to rest. Only disturb me if there is any deviation of the pods path."

"Sleep well, John."

EOS blinked away and John gazed into the darkness. He just lay there, thoughts rattling around his head worry on his heart, waiting for his brain to exhaust itself. Eventually he fell asleep. His dreams were full of stars and a single lone red pod slowly passing them by.

***

John woke. He had no idea how long it had been. He quickly reached for his communicator and was surprised to see that fifteen hours had passed! Only seven more until they intercepted the pod! John tapped the small EOS icon and she was transmitting seconds later. 

"Morning John. Scott attempted to call you an hour ago, but I informed him you were resting. Still no change in trajectory, seven hours and twenty-six minutes until intercept."

"Thank you, EOS. I'll call Scott in a while."

John unstrapped himself and made himself comfortable before putting his baldric over his shoulder. His stomach growled and he headed to the mess and grabbed some of the standard issues GDF porridge. He tapped his communicator and called Scott.

"John, anything to report?" Scott's face was filled with worry and the dark circles on his face made John was certain he hadn't slept. 

"Negative. Still en route, no changes. How are you getting on with your transport?"

Scott sighed and ran his hand through his normally pristine hair. 

"The weather is going to delay the launch. The crew arrived an hour ago and are being briefed and prepared. They aren't rushing John. The GDF want to follow procedure to the full."

"Scott, they have every right to, and you know it. You, getting into orbit a day later isn't going to save Alan. You do have time to follow procedure." 

John knew his brother and understood his angst. He'd seen it so many times before. Scott sighed. 

"I know, but it's Alan, John." Scott sobbed. 

"Scott, get some rest. You need to be at your best for this. I need you to be at your best. We all do. Go to bed, Scott."

Scott looked him in the eyes. It was an exhausted and sorrowful gaze, but he could see Scott thinking. His brother's shoulders sagged, and he nodded. 

"Fine, John. Just keep me updated."

"FAB."

Scott disappeared and John couldn't help but feel conflicted. But telling Scott the whole truth would make him worse and the family didn't need that right now. John floated down the corridor to the helm and joined O'Bannon. She yawned and gave him a smile. 

"Good sleep?" 

"As good as it could be considering. Do you need me to take control so you can get some?"

Ridley laughed. "Don't try that one on me, John. I'm on strict instructions NOT to let you fly this ship. I've just caught my scheduled eight hours."

John pulled himself into the chair and strapped in. He pulled up the flight plan and destination. They were still on schedule. 

"We'll be in scanner range in just over four hours." 

John nodded. EOS had informed him that the ship's scanners were programmed to pick up life signs, though from a very limited range. It made sense when it came to policing, and he knew he'd use them the minute they were in range. It could confirm John's theory, but it would only work if Alan was alive. Though it didn't change Alan's oxygen situation, and John was fearful he'd be watching Alan die. 

John sat back and slipped into light conversation with Ridley. They were friends after all and talking helped keep their minds busy. As they neared the edge of the scanner’s range, even Ridley started to show signs of being anxious. A display popped up the moment they were in scanning distance of the pod. John's stomach lurched, and he swallowed as he grasped the arms of the chair. Ridley gave him a nod before running the scan. They both watched, the air around them tense. A life sign popped up, and the screen displayed its location as the current coordinates of the pod. John let out the breath he was holding in. There was no guarantee it was Alan, but if it was the pod it would be his baby brother flying it. The small fragment of hope inside him flickered, though John tried to hold it back. The odds were still against Alan. 

Ridley set the scan to run every five minutes, so every five minutes John held his breath and hoped that there was still a life out there. There was little chatter over the next hours as they lived scan by scan, relieved that the person was still alive yet fearing the next scan would show the opposite. As they neared the target coordinates John slipped back into his exosuit and started to prepare. Ridley left him briefly and returned with a small oxygen canister and attachment. 

"If he's running low on oxygen then he'll need this. It doesn't take long for cerebral hypoxia to occur. The quicker he gets oxygen the better."

"Thank you." 

John clipped the tank to the exosuit and watched as Ridley started to slow the ship down so he could safely exit. The little red pod was insight now and John's heart started to race. He knew the limits of the GDF scanner. He knew that it was all based of heat signatures, and that meant they had no idea what condition Alan was in or if he was just a warm body. John headed to the airlock and set it to depressurised ready to release him into space. As he waited, he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He could feel the adrenaline in his system, and he knew he was going to need in, but he also needed a level head and to stay focused. 

The airlock opened and John flew out. He controlled the suit, turned and headed to the pod. He was coming at it from below and carefully flipped himself, so he flew up and alongside it. He glanced across and his heart skipped a beat. It was Alan! John quickly reached, grabbed hold of the pod and hung off the side. As he reached for the handle he gazed down on his younger brother. Alan hadn't moved or responded to him, and John could now see why. His baby brother was unconscious. His eyes closed facing forwards toward the Earth, head resting on the controls with his hands still hanging on them. John's heart skipped a beat as he pulled the hatch open. Please, don't let it be too late.


	4. I'm here with you

John fought the urge to check for Alan's pulse. Instead he disconnected Alan from the pod’s oxygen supply and replaced it with the attachment on the canister Ridley gave him. When John was sure Alan was connected up, he slipped in behind his brother and grabbed his brother’s wrist. The smashed communicator confirmed why Alan hadn't got in touch, but John could still connect to it and brought up the readings from Alan's suit. Relief flooded John and he couldn't stop the tears that fell down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around his baby brother. There was a pulse, faint and slow, and his respiration rate was next to non-existent, but it was there. Alan was alive! John knew his brother wasn't out the woods, and that he could still loss him, but at least Alan had a chance. He'd beaten the odds so far, and now John could give him the best chance of recovery. 

John looked up and saw that Ridley had manoeuvred the ship in front of the pod and opened the cargo bay. The bay was just big enough for the pod, and John removed Alan's hands from the controls. The red oxygen low warning still lit up the screen, but the fuel warning was still amber, and John carefully guided the pod into the GDF ship. The bay re-pressurised and Ridley rushed into the bay with a medical kit and a stretcher. She climbed onto the pod and helped John extract his brother's limp body. They hurried to the medical bay; Alan still attached to John via the oxygen tube. Once in the medical bay they transferred him to the bed and strapped him down. John prepared to remove Alan's helmet while Ridley got an oxygen mask ready. 

"On three." He said. "One. Two. Three."

John opened the helmet and Ridley held the mask over Alan's mouth. John removed the helmet completely and slipped the straps behind Alan's head. Stepping back, John looked Alan over as Ridley scanned him with a medical scanner. Together, they peered at the display. Alan's body temperature was on the low side of the normal range, and there were some large areas of bruising on his back and arms. Ridley moved to Alan's head and scanned his head again, slowly and thoroughly. John held his breath as she came to view the more detailed scans. 

"There's definitely some signs of cerebral hypoxia, dehydration, and possibly a concussion too. He needs urgent medical attention."

John nodded. Alan maybe alive but he needed care they couldn't give, and what he needed was over a day away. 

"John, could you remove his uniform?" 

John found the seams and carefully pulled them back and removed Alan's uniform. He folded them and lay the baldric on top, before strapping up the bundle. Alan looked so pale in the bright light in only his black underclothes. Ridley carefully prepared the items she required, so they won't float off, and carefully inserted a central venous catheter into Alan's left arm. She then attached a specialised zero-g saline drip to port and placed pads and sensors over his brother's body to replace the ones they'd just removed. 

"I'll get us heading back to Earth. I'll inform the GDF of our estimated time of arrival and Alan's condition, but I'll let them know that you'll be informing your family of the developments. John, call Scott. He needs to know."

Ridley left the medical bay after placing Alan's uniform in a compartment, which John made a mental note of. He floated beside his brother. He grabbed Alan's arm and shook it gently. 

"Alan, can you hear me? Alan, please wake up."

John watched Alan for any movement. The sooner his brother woke up the better. John grasped his brother's hand and stroked the back of it. John floated by his brother; they had no idea how long he'd been out for, but it had definitely caused some damage. How reversible it would be, was something only Alan could show him, in the months he'd take to recover. But first Alan had to wake up. John placed his hand on the side of his brother's face, and stroked Alan's cheek where the mask wasn't covering his skin. 

"Come on, Alan. Wake up. I need you awake so I can call Scott. We can't have him worrying too much now. You've already given him enough grey hairs, haven't you Alan?"

John watched and waited. Looking for any sign of a response. Alan's chest was steadily rising up and down. His eyes flicked to the bio-readings on the display. All the basics were normal for an unconscious man. John squeezed Alan's hand, and let his eyes fall on Alan's face. John froze. Was that a twitch? John glanced down and watched as Alan's eyes moved beneath his eyelids. John squeezed Alan's hand again and slowly his brother's eyes opened. John peered into them. They were unfocused and there was no recognition in them, but seeing those blue eyes caused hope to flood John's heart. 

"Alan, it's John. I'm here and you're safe." 

Alan's eyes stayed unfocused and he didn't move or squeeze back. John grabbed the scanner and scanned Alan's brain. There were parts functioning, but there were some parts that weren't as active as they should be. As John studied the scan it lit up. He looked at Alan and his brother was shaking. A seizure! Alan strained against the straps that stopped him floating about. John kept back and was relieved when Ridley came in. She stayed quiet as they waited for the seizure to pass. The jerking of Alan's body slowed down and soon he stilled. Ridley grabbed a medical kit and started getting to work on his brother. She took out a vial and syringe.

"Has Alan ever had any reactions to drugs?"

"No."

"Good. I'm going to give him a small dose of an anti-seizure drug, to try keep him stable." 

Ridley inserted the drug into Alan's system. John took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. He floated over to Alan's head and looked into the young man's face. His eyes were shut again, but Alan had regained consciousness, if only temporarily. That was a good sign. The seizure was not so good, but he knew they could go away. Alan was a Tracy. He had the stubbornness to get through and overcome this. 

Ridley tidied up before floating over to him and putting an arm around his shoulder. John lent into her body, craving the comfort as silent tears fell. Ridley quickly mopped them up before they could float away and cause problems.

"He did really well to get this far, and everything's set for a quick transfer to Earth. You just need to let Scott know."

John nodded, eyes on his baby brother. He sighed and moved out of Ridley's touch. He had to tell Scott. At least he has good news. Scott would still be worried and fret but at least Alan was still alive to fret over. Ridley ran a few checks on Alan. 

"I'm heading to the mess. I'll give you fifteen minutes before I return with food for you."

John nodded and tried to slip into rescue mode. He tapped his communicator and called Scott, who answered immediately. Scott looked better that he had last time. His eldest brother had shaved, neatened his hair and although he still had dark circles under his eyes, there was more energy in him. It was anxious energy, but energy none the less. It also meant he was in a good condition to hear the news. 

"John, we're one hour from take-off here, I'll be in orbit in a few hours. How is it going? How far from Thunderbird 3 are you?"

John swallowed. Time to spill the beans. 

"We're on our way back. We'll be rendezvousing with you in less than a day."

"John, what do you mean!? You have to get to Thunderbird 3! You have to find Alan."

John took in his brother and the pain in the elder’s features. Instead of answering John angled his wrist so that Alan was being projected to Scott, instead of himself.

"Alan?" Scott whispered, his face full of shock. "How? John, how?"

"EOS detected what could have been the space pod on the scanners heading for Earth. But her calculations showed that there was only the smallest possibility that we could get to Alan before his oxygen ran out. We intercepted the pod and it was Alan onboard. We're bringing him home."

Scott's face was a picture of surprise and John watched many emotions run through it. 

"Is he......Did you...." Scott stammered. John's heart ached for his brother. 

"He's alive, Scott. He's got cerebral hypoxia but probably only mildly. He's woken up but had shown no sign of recognition, and he'd had a seizure."

"But he's alive?" 

"Yes, Scott, he's alive. But we won't know the extent of the damage for months."

"We'll make it work, John." Tears slipped down Scott's face. "He's alive and whatever else happens, we'll deal with it."

John nodded, fighting back the tears of his own. They both needed family and comfort, but both knew they won't be satisfied until Alan was safely home. 

"We need to let the others know." Scott looked John in the eye, a silent message passed between them. 'You do it, John, you'd be better. was what Scott told him with a glance. John appreciated the confidence Scott had in him and nodded his agreement. 

"Thank you, John." Scott looked smaller than he had in years. John wanted to place his hand in his brother's shoulder, but distance didn't allow it. 

"You're welcome, Scott."

***

Virgil was sitting on the sofa with Grandma. She was worried sick. She had lost her son, and despite watching her grandson's head into danger on a near daily basis, this hurt so much more. This was the real deal. She could lose her youngest grandchild. Virgil himself, had cried with her. Her tears had brought on his. He knew as well as Brains' how much oxygen was on Three. Brains' has given him that look when he tried to ask the question. It was the look that said Virgil knew the answer. Alan wasn't coming home alive without a miracle. But to tell that to his Grandma, the one who'd become a mother to Alan, who'd raised him, alongside Dad, and then Scott. He couldn't tell his Grandma. 

Scott had stepped straight into action. Practicalities came first, grief could wait for later. Virgil had seen Scott race off the island, though had grabbed his arm before he left. The silent conversation that happened in the those few seconds was all Virgil needed to know. Scott was going to hold on to hope until he saw it for himself. Alan wasn't dead until Scott had seen him. Virgil gave his elder brother a hug before he left and started preparing his heart for a big brother's worst nightmare. 

Gordon was sitting on the other couch with Brains. Kayo was leaning against the wall, while Penelope was on the other side of Grandma to Virgil, holding her other hand, when John called. Virgil was surprised to hear from him so soon, though he couldn't help but notice how emotional exhausted his brother looked. 

"John." Virgil said, his hand still rubbing circles on his Grandma's back. 

"Hello Virgil." John's hologram looked around the room. "I'm glad you're all here already. I have an update."

Virgil felt his heart rate accelerate, and his hand froze on his Grandma's back. Scott had said it'd take two days to get to Three. He felt the older woman shiver then straightened. 

"Go on, Hun." Grandma encouraged. John nodded.

"Alan's alive and we're on our way back to Earth..."

The rest of the conversation was caught in snippets, but Virgil got the information he needed. Alan was hurt but alive. That was all that mattered. Tears of relief fell down his Grandma's face. Gordon was silent for once, just absorbing the new information. Virgil wrapped his arms around his grandmother and pulled her close. Then he let his tears fall. How could he have doubted Alan? Then John had had his doubts too. Alan had a way of surprising them all. The guilt and relief flooded Virgil as he wept. 

***

John ended the call to his family. He'd given them hope, something to hold on to. He turned to Alan. Alan's eyes were open again, but he still didn't respond or react to John's voice or touch. John floated next to his brother and took his hand. 

"It's John, Alan. You're big brother, John." John stoked his hand. "We’re going home, Alan and I'm not leaving your side."

***

Scott floated in the passageway of the shuttle. Alan and John were less than half an hour away and he was struggling to hold himself together. He looked at the airlock that Alan would be transported through. He wanted to be by his baby brother’s side as soon as he could. He’d felt relief when he first heard Alan was alive, but Captain O’Bannon had transmitted the scans and readings taken from Alan and the GDF had kicked in action. They had delayed the launch again, but this time Scott didn’t argue. They had assembled the best team of medical personnel who had experience and training in zero-g emergencies. The equipment required to keep Alan stable through re-entry was gathered with haste, and Scott couldn’t help but marvel at the mountains Cornel Casey moved to make sure that Alan, her godson, got home safe. Once everything was onboard and secure the ship took off, only just making the safe launch window. 

Scott had hoovered in the makeshift medical bay once in orbit. He had listened to the medics rattling off the equipment, drugs and roles they would be taking. He had watched as they verbally ran through scenarios that could occur. What happened if he had a seizure during re-entry? What was the first thing they had to do if his heart stopped once under the effect of normal gravity? Who would be the first to respond? Who would head resuscitation? Scott’s blood ran cold. These were the risks, no matter how small, that his already injured baby brother had to face, had to beat. The fear in Scott’s heart was real. He wished he could sit with his brother the entire time during decent, however they all needed to be strapped in. He had flown in Thunderbird Three enough to know the strength of the forces put on the body during re-entry. He hoped Alan’s history, the fact that he had done it so many times, would work in his favour. His body was used to it. 

As the smaller ship came into dock, the medical team started to gather. All prepared to grab the stretcher and take control of Alan. He knew they didn’t want him there, that he might get in their way, but he had to be there for Alan. Even just to hold his hand. The airlock opened and there was John. Scott was shocked at how haggard he looked compared with the holoprojection he’d spoken with less than a day ago. His brother nodded at him, before floating to the side and revealing the stretcher containing Alan. John started rattling off Alan’s stats, medication and condition, but it faded into the background for Scott. Alan’s pale body, oxygen mask over his face, was all he could concentrate on. He looked so small, so fragile, and Scott had sent him into space. There were small patches of mottled bruising, a line connected to a drip and various sensors. John passed the stretcher to the medical staff, who grabbed the corners. Scott watched the bottom half pass before grabbing Alan’s hand when it came into reach. He pushed himself along so not to tug on his little brother, keeping pace with the medical staff. 

They took him into the medical bay and started to hook him up to new monitors, they took new scans and gave Alan more medication. The worked around Scott who just held Alan’s hand. Scott gazed at the young astronaut’s face, his eyes were open, his pupils were responding, and they followed the light when asked. All positive signs. 

“Would you speak to him for us? See if he recognises you?” The doctor on his left said, moving away. 

Scott grabbed the side of the stretcher and pulled himself closer, so he was looking Alan in the eye. 

“Hello Alan. It’s Scott. I’m here, Alan, I’m hear with you.”

Scott watched as Alan’s eyes flickered slightly, and they appeared to look at him, but he could see that Alan was struggling to focus. Scott squeezed Alan’s hand. 

“It’s okay, Alan. We’ve got you now.” Scott stroked Alan’s hair, as he had all Alan’s life when trying to soothe the boy. His voice may not have done to trick but Scott could see some of Alan’s muscles relax at the touch. The medic came up beside him and Scott moved back. A hand fell on his shoulder, and Scott turned to see John. John’s eyes were full of concern and sympathy. In an instant Scott understood. John had stayed awake and by Alan’s side all this time. 

“We need to prepare Alan for re-entry,” the most senior medic informed them, “would you two please take your seats.”

Scott took one last look at Alan, gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go and following John out the room and towards the seats they had been assigned. The brothers strapped themselves in, both silent. Nothing needed to be said. They both knew how the other was feeling. They watched as the medical staff filtered in, until the last one sat down. The astronaut at the helm, announced that they were ready for decent and Scott lay his head back and braced himself. There was no way anyone could give Alan medical attention during this time; Alan was on his own again. 

The descent was routine and uneventful for Scott, and once they were on the ground, the medical team were up and at Alan’s side. John held Scott back from the room as the staff prepared Alan for transfer. The brothers watched as Alan was quickly taken from the shuttle. Scott put his arm under John’s shoulder as they hurried after the convoy. John lent on Scott, using him to aid his balance as he walked on Earth for the first time in two months. They headed into the GDF flyer and took their seats on the bench along the side. Their eyes rested on the stretcher with their brother. John gripped Scott’s arm and Scott obeyed the command, his face stern with worry. The flight was short with the Quadjet landing on the helipad of the hospital. The brothers stood back again and watched the GDF staff hand over to the hospital doctors. A tall confident woman approached them, and Scott looked her in the eye. 

“Welcome to John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. I’m Charity Adebayo, and I will be your family liaison.” She smiled at them, “I’m sure you are worried about you brother, but please be aware that we have excellent neurological expertise and he will be getting the best care we have on offer. I’ll take you to Alan’s room where you can wait for him.”

Charity lead them off the helipad and into the building. They entered the maze of the hospital, eager to get to the room where they would be reunited with their brother. She opened the door to a spacious private room. The Tracy name worked wonders sometimes. 

“The GDF have already sent forward all the scans they have, and the doctors already have an extensive treatment and rehabilitation plan ready to put in place. They are just taking a few more detailed scans and their own evaluations first, before they inform you of the possible outcomes for your brother. I’ll leave you two for a while and will return with your brother.”

Charity left and John was immediately on his communicator. Scott watched, always baffled at the calm way John could handle disaster, as the hologram of Grandma popped up above his wrist. He rattled off the hospital name and room number and Grandma confirmed they would be there soon. John contacted EOS and asked her to secure a slot and aviation bay at the local airfield. Scott placed his arm on John’s shoulder. 

“What you did, John. You saved Alan. Thank you.”

“He would…did…the same for me.” 

Scott pulled John in close remembering the time when they had almost lost their other astronaut. John rested in Scott’s arms, exhausted. They stayed like that until Alan was brought into the room. Once the medical staff moved away, Scott moved over and grabbed Alan’s hand, while John grabbed the other. The brothers sat there waiting for the rest of the family to join them. 

***

Alan blinked. His mind was such a muggle, but things were starting to become clearer. The colours in his vision started to come back into focus and things started to make sense. His chest felt better, no longer fighting to pull oxygen into his body. He still felt sleepy, but it wasn’t the oxygen starvation sleepy he had fought in the pod. There were sounds around him, words he couldn’t put together, and the various contact that he felt, most of which brought him familiarity and comfort. 

He blinked and he felt his eyes open again. The room was dark, but there was some dim lighting. He blinked and blinked. The tiles on the ceiling were now in focus. He looked lower and saw the door. His heart lurched at the sight of a hospital door, causing an increase in the steady bleeping that was coming from his right. It slowly dawned on him he had been in space. That he had been alone. Now he was in hospital. Had he made it to Earth? How? A squeeze on his hand brought Alan out of his thoughts.

“Alan?” 

A familiar voice whispered to his left. Tears welled in his eyes as his Grandma’s face moved into his view. He’d been in space. He had been looking at Earth. Now, here was his Grandma, her blue eyes looking at him, and she was squeezing his hand. The tears fell down his cheeks. 

“Oh, Alan.” 

Her voice was soft, and she let go of his hand and pulled him into a hug. He tried to hug here back, but he struggled to move his arms higher that her waist. So, he gripped her weakly as more tears fell. Alan’s head rested on her shoulder, and as he blinked away the next tears, his eyes could focus on the sight over Grandma’s shoulder. Six chairs, each filled with a sleeping figure. Each one a member of his family. Alan relaxed into his Grandma’s arms, as the realisation that came to him. His wish had been granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how factually correct Alan's cerebral hypoxia is. I did some research but the outcomes vary so much I think I just took artistic license with it.


End file.
